Nagpur Forest Circle to focus on strengthening corridors

Nagpur: Experts involved in joint deliberations at the ongoing two-day workshop in Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), Maharashtra, have decided to chalk out a line of action to save corridors from various threats.
The joint event organized by Nagpur Forest Circle, and Coalition for Wildlife Corridors (CWC), a partnership of NGOs working to promote conservation of wildlife corridors across India, kicked off on Thursday to work out strategies to strengthen corridors for animal movement.
This is for the first time Nagpur Circle comprising Bhandara, Gondia, Nagpur and Wardha territorial divisions took a step towards corridor conservation. The circle also has presence of three tiger reserves – Navegaon-Nagzira, Bor and Pench — besides Umred-Karhandla-Poani Wildlife Sanctuary, connecting Tadoba Andhari.
On the workshop, A Sreelakshmi, conservator of forest, Nagpur Circle, said, “The Nagpur Circle has sizeable numbers of tigers but at the same time several linear project threats loom large over the landscape. Hence, we have invited other line departments like NHAI to be part of the event.”
“Tiger occupancy in territorial divisions of Nagpur Circle has expanded. Now we need to pay immediate attention and be prepared to deal with negative human-tiger interactions. If the upward trend has to be maintained, issues like human-tiger conflict, fragmentation of corridors, illegal power farm fences, poaching, grazing, and fuelwood collection have to be dealt with seriously,” said Sreelakshmi.
“To facilitate conservation in this landscape, it is also essential to understand the priorities and realities of multiple stakeholders – including forest managers, infrastructure developers, and local communities,” she stressed.
“Extensive focus on tiger conservation and connectivity over the last decade has created a swathe of effective conservation plans for tigers across the country. As the focus has shifted from independent protected areas to a wider landscape approach, these plans increasingly emphasize the importance of wildlife corridors to facilitate natural gene flow throughout the landscape,” said a wildlife expert.